title: Bioavailability of cadmium in inexpensive jewelry.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the bioavailability of Cd in 86 components of 57 jewelry items found to contain high levels of Cd (> 10,000 ppm) by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), using extractions that simulate mouthing or swallowing of jewelry items.
  
  
  METHODS
  We screened jewelry for Cd content by XRF. Bioavailability was measured in two ways. Items were placed in saline solution at 37°C for 6 hr to simulate exposures from mouthing of jewelry items. Items were placed in dilute hydrochloric acid (HCl) at 37°C for 6-96 hr, simulating the worst-case scenario of a child swallowing a jewelry item. Damaged pieces of selected samples were also extracted by both methods to determine the effect of breaching the outer plating on bioavailability. Total Cd content of all items was determined by atomic absorption.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 6-hr saline extraction yielded as much as 2,200 µg Cd, and 24-hr dilute HCl extraction yielded a maximum of > 20,000 µg Cd. Leaching of Cd in dilute HCl increased linearly over 6-96 hr, indicating potential for increasing harm the longer an item remains in the stomach. Damage to jewelry by breaching the outer plating generally, but not always, increased Cd release. Bioavailability did not correlate directly with Cd content.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate the potential for dangerous Cd exposures to children who wear, mouth, or accidentally swallow high-Cd jewelry items.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Geology & Physics, Ashland University, Ashland, Ohio 44805, USA. jweiden@ashland.edu
authors.forename: Jeffrey D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Weidenhamer
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Daphne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guinn
authors.forename: Janna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pearson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D006851:Hydrochloric Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D055498:Jewelry / Q000032:analysis*; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000737:chemistry; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D002104:Cadmium; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D006851:Hydrochloric Acid